Sun.’s Devo - The Charges

Read: Hosea 4:1-5:15; 2 John 1:1-13; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 29:9-11 Hosea spoke to the people and told them the charges that the Lord was bringing against them as a nation. They were unfaithful, unkind, ignorant of God, liars, robbers, adulterers, and murderers. They broke all of the 10 commandments along with many other ones. To continue the list, they passed blame on others and sinned in broad daylight. The priests were even worse. They refused to know God or his laws. They were glad when the people sinned because it meant more guilt offerings for them. God was going to desert them to worshipping their false gods. Because of their idolatry, the women were turning to prostitution and their married women to adultery. The men were using these prostitutes. He warned Judah not to become idolators and enter into this kind of sexual worship. He begged Judah not to prostitute herself like Israel had done. Next he addressed the leaders along with the priests. He told them that judgment had been handed down against them because they had led the people into idolatry. They had become utterly defiled so they were going to be devoured along with their wealth. They had turned to Assyria for help instead of to God but Assyria could not help them. No one will be able to help them against God’s wrath. God would carry them off until they admit their guilt and turn to God. In John’s second letter was written to the “chosen lady and to her children”. No one knows if he was talking to the church at large or to a particular family but the message is the same to all. John loves truth and understands that because they are Christians, the truth lives in each of them and this truth is love. He reminds them once again of what a deceiver is. He is a person who denies that Jesus came in the flesh, died on the cross for our sins and rose to heaven victoriously. John told them to disassociate with anyone who does not teach this, but tries to deceive others with lies. Lord, thank you that you have not forgotten us but want our nation to be a holy nation set apart for you and your purposes. Thank you that you are fighting for our behalf and for the sake of your holy name.